“That one can convince one’s opponents with printed reasons, I have not believed since the year 1764. It is not for that purpose that I have taken up my pen, but rather merely to annoy them, and to give strength and courage to those on our side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.”
G.C. Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), courtesy of 'Deogolwulf'

Wednesday, 06 February 2013

Why do I instantly recoil in horror at this?

Sometimes you learn that the future is now! Thus it is with national eugenics which, whilst it once enjoyed intellectual popularity here amongst the Left, fell into disrepute when the national socialist Adolph Hitler actually put it into practice with his dreams of a new Germanic master-race. But no idea, once it is out of the bag and however bad it is, can be quite put to death, and this particular monster has arisen again, this time in China according to an article in Edge by Geoffrey Miller, an evolutionary psychologist. If you have any doubts or prejudices concerning people who call themselves 'evolutionary psychologists', then this will confirm them in spades!

According to Mr. Miller:

But crucially, Comprehensive National Power also includes "biopower": creating the world's highest-quality human capital in terms of the Chinese population's genes, health, and education (see Governing China's Population by Susan Greenhalgh and Edwin Winkler).

Chinese biopower has ancient roots in the concept of "yousheng" ("good birth"—which has the same literal meaning as "eugenics"). For a thousand years, China has been ruled by a cognitive meritocracy selected through the highly competitive imperial exams. The brightest young men became the scholar-officials who ruled the masses, amassed wealth, attracted multiple wives, and had more children. The current "gaokao" exams for university admission, taken by more than 10 million young Chinese per year, are just the updated version of these imperial exams—the route to educational, occupation, financial, and marital success. With the relaxation of the one-child policy, wealthier couples can now pay a "social fostering fee" (shehui fuyangfei) to have an extra child, restoring China's traditional link between intelligence, education, wealth, and reproductive success.

[Sorry the above quotation will not layout properly]

Needless to say, this goes hand-in-hand with a 1995 law which forbids people with heritable mental or physical disorders from marrying. Mr. Miller, damn his eyes, is not unsympathetic and sneers at the likely response from those existing civilisations still bearing the remnants of a Judeo-Christian tradition:

My real worry is the Western response. The most likely response, given Euro-American ideological biases, would be a bioethical panic that leads to criticism of Chinese population policy with the same self-righteous hypocrisy that we have shown in criticizing various Chinese socio-cultural policies. But the global stakes are too high for us to act that stupidly and short-sightedly. A more mature response would be based on mutual civilizational respect, asking—what can we learn from what the Chinese are doing, how can we help them, and how can they help us to keep up as they create their brave new world?

My only response to Mr. Miller is to repeat the words of a colonel of a very distinguished cavalry regiment writing his confidential report on a young subaltern: "I would hesitate to breed from this officer." Likewise, with Mr. Miller!

Comments

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I'm not sure whether 'Mr' Miller is a naif, a useful idiot or just a hypocrite.

"China has been ruled by a cognitive meritocracy"

Since when? Oh yes the 'imperial exams' but access to those only if you had sufficient influence, money and the 'right' political leanings - much as now where membership of the 'party' trumps all other limitations.

I suppose I could point out the debacle of IQ tests (selecting for those like yourself), or Einstein (and others of note) who failed miserably at exams, but I doubt I'd have too to you or others who frequent your cogitations.(Call me nekulturny if you must but can anyone point out the benefits accrued by China in culture, science, engineering, agriculture, art, or for that matter in any sphere of knowledge or ability excluding efficient mass murder elicited by their 'wonderful' administrative system?)

I suspect 'Mr' Miller feels that in a similar situation he would of course be classed amongst the intelligentsia (amazing how eugenicists always class themselves in the groups that would never be affected by the 'population reductions' restrictions, etc. they advocate isn't it?). Perhaps he should consider that those most intelligent and capable tend to be those who either 'disappear' or spend considerable time in forced labour 'institutions' in the 'societies' he so ardently admires.

Agree with Able. I reckon the problem here is Edge magazine and G Miller. That said this does seem an area where the Chinese could pull ahead of the West. But the Chinese want to publish in Nature etc so they will find it hard(ish) to conduct too many 'dark' experiments. Mind you, if the Chinese come up with a cure for Alzheimers no-one will quibble over the paperwork.

Thank you for the complement (even if it is from an ex Para) but I'd disagree as to the relative clarity of expression.

Whilst I admit to having an opinion on absolutely everything (and I do mean everything - a recent 'discussion' with a colleague on the relative merits re. trousers with or without turn-ups became quite heated, which may, or may not have had something to do with the amount of Etoh consumed) and can wax lyrical on esoteric subjects (ie. alternative uses for common or garden medical equipment - bladder syringes make cake icing so much easier), I will refrain from a blog being one of lifes intellectual spear carriers/NCOs (ie. I occasionally sound not too stupid on commenting on others thoughts, when I limit myself to subjects I may have some vague knowledge about or forget to get off my soap box in time, but independent, creative thought appears to be beyond me - possibly Etoh induced again)